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A slice of Chocolate Layer Cake
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Chocolate Layer Cake (aka Spartak Cake)

This classic spartak cake features chocolate cake layers alternated with a custardy, rich cake cream. A must-try Slavic dessert for chocolate lovers!
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword cake spartak, chocolate layer cake
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 18 Servings
Calories 587kcal
Author Natalya Drozhzhin

Ingredients

Cake Layers

Spartak Cake Cream

Instructions

Spartak Cake Layers

  • Make a steam bath by boiling water and placing a bowl on the top. Combine the sugar, egg, butter, honey, and milk in the bowl. Whisk the mixture until the ingredients double in volume.
    A steam bath with milk, honey, sugar, egg, and butter in the bowl
  • Stir in the cacao slowly, followed by the baking soda.
    Baking soda mixed into the mixture on the steam bath
  • Remove the batter from the steam batch. In small parts, add the flour to the mixture. At first, use a whisk to stir the flour in. Once it begins to thicken, switch over to a spatula. As it cools, the batter will begin to thicken.
    Flour being mixed into the mixture in a bowl
  • Divide the dough into 11 equal balls, they should come out to make 11 inch cake.
    Dough being cut into small pieces
  • On a floured surface, roll out each dough portion into a thin, circular layer. Measure it using a plate to ensure they are consistent in size.
    A chocolate cake layer on the table
  • Bake at 350°F for about 5-8 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove the cake layer from the oven and place the plate you measured it with on top. Trim off the excess edges of the dough by tracing a knife alongside the edges of the plate. Remove it form the baking sheet and place it onto a cooling rack. Repeat until all the layers are baked and trimmed.
    Chocolate Layer Cake layers stacked on top of each other on a cutting board

Spartak Cake Cream

  • Whisk the eggs with flour together until all the lumps are gone.
    eggs and flour whisked together
  • Pour the milk into a heavy saucepan and add in the egg mixture, vanilla, and sugar. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring/whisking consistently until the mixture resembles the consistency of sweetened condensed milk. Remove the cream from heat and let it cool completely at room temperature.
    Into a pot with milk egg mixture, vanilla extract and sugar added in
  • Using an electric mixer, whisk the room temperature butter until it's smooth in texture. In small parts, add in the cooked cream. Continue whisking until well-combined.
    Cream mixture in a mixing bowl

Assemble the Cake

  • Distribute around 80% of the cake cream across the cake layers. Spread it evenly and stack the layers on top of one another. Use the remaining cake cream to decorate the outside of the cake.
    Cream placed onto each cake layer
  • Decorate the outside of the cake as you wish or leave it as-is. Chill it in the fridge before serving and enjoy!
    Chocolate Layer Cake on a cake stand

Nutrition

Calories: 587kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 1267IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg